It's always fun to see a narrative flipped on its head. We're roughly halfway through the regular season, and there has been no shortage of surprises across the country. If you take a look at the preseason AP Top 25 poll, you'll find that 11 of the 25 teams that were ranked to begin the season aren't ranked at all now. Two of the teams that started in the top 10 (Michigan and Florida State) are gone, and another two (Alabama and Ole Miss) have already suffered two losses.
As far as quarterbacks are concerned, the prevailing thought coming into 2024 was that no conference was stronger at the position than the SEC. Yet, here we are, and there are only two SEC QBs included in the Power Rankings this week, and one of them isn't here for his performance as much as his grit.
Georgia took down Texas this week, but it had to overcome three Carson Beck interceptions to do so. Guys like Jalen Milroe, Nico Iamaleava and Jaxson Dart have all come across hard times in recent weeks. Quinn Ewers was benched for a while Saturday night.
In recent years, when we've seen other conferences put up elite defensive numbers, the chorus from SEC country has been, "It's only because their offenses stink." Well, there sure are a lot of defenses putting up elite numbers in the SEC this season. I wonder what the reason could be?
Anyway, while you ponder that, here's a reminder of how these rankings work.
- This is not a NFL Draft board ranking, nor is it based on any kind of statistical formula. Your numbers matter, sure, but overall, I'm ranking quarterbacks based on the "juice" they have at the current moment in time. It's a combination of how well you're playing, what you have accomplished and what you might accomplish in the near future. If you believe a QB I haven't listed should be listed, I only kept them off the list because I don't like you. Or, perhaps it's this second part.
- I don't rank any QB the week after a loss. You could be the greatest QB of all time, but if you lose on Saturday, you won't be here. I don't care if you think your offensive line stinks, OK? That's the burden the QB must carry. If you win, it's because your teammates did their jobs. If you lose, it's on you. Embrace it. Also, if you're currently injured and unavailable to play, you won't be ranked here, either. Availability is the most important ability.
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| 1 | 
Cam Ward
Miami (FL) Hurricanes QB
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| Cam Ward: Game or season on the line, and you need a QB to make a play to save the day: is there anybody in the country you'd take over Cam Ward right now? I'm sure Miami fans would appreciate a blowout win at at some point, but it's nice to know you have this guy on your side when things get tense. In a season that's seen a ton of turnover at No. 1 in these rankings, Cam is back on top for the third straight week. It's going to be hard to wrestle it away from him. At +240, he trails only Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty +200 as the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. (Last Week: 1) | |
| 2 | 
Dillon Gabriel
Oregon Ducks QB
|
| I loved what Oregon did Friday night. This team had every excuse available to put together a lackluster performance. They were coming off a huge win and had to travel across the country on a short week to face a team that was easy to overlook. Instead, Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks showed up, took care of business quickly, and didn't even let Purdue entertain the idea of pulling off an upset. It was a perfect performance. (2) | |
| 3 | 
Garrett Nussmeier
LSU Tigers QB
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| Avoiding sacks is one of tne of the most underrated abilities a QB can have. Garrett Nussmeier has been pressured on 64 of his dropbacks this season. That's over 22% of the time and he's only been sacked once. That's easily the best "pressure-to-sack ratio" in the country. The next best among qualified QBs is New Mexico's Devon Dampier. He's at 28.5 to 1. (3) | |
| 4 | 
Cade Klubnik
Clemson Tigers QB
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| We gave Cade his flowers last week, and it was another clinical performance against Virginia. He finished with 337 total yards and three touchdowns, though he also had an interception. It's easy to nitpick the schedule Clemson has faced since getting pasted by Georgia to open the season, but there's no denying this team is playing very strong football right now, and Klubnik is at the head of the charge. (4) | |
| 5 | 
Bryson Daily
Army West Point Black Knights QB
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| I've received a lot of angry comments and messages from people who only see the ranking graphic on social media. They don't understand how this list works or why Bryson Daily is ranked so highly. They also don't know ball. Daily finished with 318 yards and 6 touchdowns this weekend, and that's basically his average performance these days. I'm sorry I didn't rank your team's QB after he threw for 250 and two touchdowns. (5) | |
| 6 | 
Avery Johnson
Kansas State Wildcats QB
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| As an Avery Johnson Fan, I'm happy to see how well he's bounced back from a god-awful performance at BYU earlier this season. It's been three straight wins since, including two on the road, with Johnson accounting for 826 total yards and 11 touchdowns to only two interceptions. While he's still not an incredible passer, he's improving. He also continues to terrify defenses with his speed. I know Iowa State and BYU are dominating headlines in the Big 12, but don't forget about Kansas State. (NR) | |
| 7 | 
Drew Allar
Penn State Nittany Lions QB
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| Speaking of fan bases who don't understand the rankings, I got plenty of hate for not ranking Allar last week. Yes, he led a great comeback drive to beat USC, but had he not thrown two bad interceptions earlier, the comeback may not have been necessary! Sometimes, enough great performances from other QBs will knock you out for a week. Still, Allar's been very impressive overall and gets another chance to show off in a tough road game against a resurgent Wisconsin this week. (NR) | |
| 8 | 
Rocco Becht
Iowa State Cyclones QB
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| I doubt he'll enter the draft after this season, but I'm telling you right now that Rocco Becht is going to play in the NFL. His size will be a knock against him, but in a QB class with plenty of questions, I buy more into Becht with every game I watch. He doesn't have elite physical traits, but his pocket awareness is outstanding, as is his ability to throw on the move both on and off script. He threw a couple of interceptions against UCF, but only one was terrible. Still, like Allar, the game-winning drive was epic, but not necessary if Rocco eliminates the earlier mistakes. (NR) | |
| 9 | 
Brady Cook
Missouri Tigers QB
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| Brady's numbers against Auburn weren't exciting. He only posted 187 total yards and didn't account for a touchdown. However, there's so much more to this story. Cook left the game early due to an injury, and was sent to the hospital. He then returned from the hospital in time to help the Tigers overcome a two-score second-half deficit and lead a game-winning touchdown drive in the final minutes. Do you think I'm leaving a guy who led a game-winning drive after returning from the hospital out of these rankings? Ain't no way. (NR) | |
| 10 | 
Sawyer Robertson
Baylor Bears QB
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| Baylor's not having a good season, but there is some reason for optimism in the future, and his name is Sawyer Robertson. The Bears scored a surprising 59-35 upset win over Texas Tech over the weekend, with Robertson throwing for five touchdowns. He didn't begin the season as Baylor's starter, but since taking over the role, he's amassed 1,408 total yards and 16 touchdowns in five games. If he keeps playing like this, considering the rest of Baylor's schedule, it's not too crazy to think the Bears could salvage the season with bowl eligibility. (NR) | |
Honorable Mention: Luke Altmyer, Illinois; John Mateer, Washington State; Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt; Shedeur Sanders, Colorado; Ben Wooldridge, Louisiana
